9th Udaipur Film Festival of the Cinema of Resistance Movement

In March 2006, on the humid morning of the 22nd, a group of young journalists gathered at the abandoned hall of Gorakhpur University, known as 'Samvad Bhavan,' decorating and preparing it. Outside, members of the ‘Kala Commune’ artist team from Banaras transformed tree trunks in the open field into a colorful art installation by wrapping old tires in vibrant sheets and tossing them onto the branches. This marked the beginning of a new cultural journey. Despite all the preparations, one skylight in the hall remained uncovered, much like the film The Roof by renowned Italian filmmaker Vittorio De Sica. After finally covering it with a cloth using a makeshift ladder, preparations for the first-ever Cinema of Resistance film festival were complete, and the festival team returned to their homes.

From March 23 to March 26, in honor of the 75th anniversary of Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom, 'Samvad Bhavan' resonated with a new cinematic culture from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m. Films from legendary directors like Akira Kurosawa, Ritwik Ghatak, Satyajit Ray, Norman McLaren, Shyam Benegal, Zoltán Fábri, Anand Patwardhan, Meghnath, Biju Toppo, and K.P. Sasi captivated a new audience, sparking lively discussions following each screening. Despite being entirely free from corporate funding, the impact of this first film festival echoed for weeks in newspapers and magazines.

This tradition of unfunded cinema became known as "Cinema of Resistance" in English and "प्रतिरोध का सिनेमा" in Hindi. Over the following years, it reached both well-known and lesser-known towns, villages, and cities like Bhilai, Nainital, Lucknow, Patna, Ballia, Azamgarh, Indore, Allahabad, Ramnagar, Srinagar Garhwal, Pithoragarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Salempur, Deoria, Maharajganj, Kushinagar, Talbehat, Jaunpur, Nanakmatta, Jaipur, and Ajmer.

Now, on November 15, the 74th film festival of the Cinema of Resistance movement and the 9th Udaipur Film Festival will be celebrated. This three-day event will run from November 15 to 17, and no ticket or invitation is needed. The festival will feature films, discussions with filmmakers, and book stalls outside the hall.

Details for support are at the end of this post. Your contributions have kept this event running, and we look forward to your continued support.

Welcome to your very own celebration of Cinema of Resistance.

Sanjay Joshi
For the Cinema of Resistance movement
9811577426